


Short 33 - The Importance of One's Reputation

by stgjr



Series: "The Power of a Name" Series 3 - "Time Lord Penitent" [10]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005), Multi-Fandom, Star Wars: Knight Errant
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Multiple Crossovers, Multiverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-11-03 22:59:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10977147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stgjr/pseuds/stgjr
Summary: The TARDIS materializes our narrator into the Dark Age of the Star Wars Galaxy to assist a beleaguered young Jedi against her Sith foes.  The fact that her name is phonetically-close to Korra's is just a coincidence.





	Short 33 - The Importance of One's Reputation

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on December 14th, 2014.

I had made a decision. A decision to do something I should have done quite a while prior. That it might be of help to my spirit and to Korra's finally tipped the balance against the feelings and sentiments against my decision.  
  
Of course, that was when the TARDIS decided to drop us somewhere else, as was her usual rascally behavior. "Go where you're needed" indeed.  
  
I stepped out of the TARDIS into a dark and dry cavern. Or, upon closer inspection, an underground site that looked to be cavernous. There was almost no light to be had. Just enough from small sources along the walls - flames or something else, I could not determine - to realize that the structure was mostly man-made.  
  
Korra and Asami followed me out. Naga squeezed through the door behind them. Normally she was quite happy to be outside of the TARDIS. But she raised her hackles this time. Her muzzle curled up and a low snarl built within her throat.  
  
"Woh. Smell something bad, Naga?", Asami asked.  
  
"It's not that," Korra murmured quietly. "There's something... here. Something that's just... wrong. Dark and wrong and cold."  
  
I realized I felt it too. What I had presumed to be environmental cold I realized to be the energy in the air.  
  
Familiar energy.  
  
I held out the sonic screwdriver and did scans of the atmosphere and the area. The sonic's scanning modes found language writing along some of the walls. I edged in that direction and got a good look at it myself. I swallowed. "Oh, this is definitely not our destination."  
  
"Where are we?", Asami asked, looking around with increasing concern.  
  
"A terrible, red planet called Korriban," I replied succinctly. "It's the origin world of the Sith."  
  
"Sith?"  
  
"The... counterparts to the Jedi." I looked back, frowning. "Their Empire was the one that enslaved Jan and Cami."  
  
"Shouldn't we leave then?"  
  
"I..."  
  
Before I could do so, Korra looked off in another direction. "There's someone here. They need help!" She started running into the darkness. Naga followed eagerly.  
  
"Korra! Korra, wait... blast it!"  
  
Asami and I ran after her. The passageways narrowed at points, forming halls. All the while the terrible dark energy continued to permeate our surroundings. This was frankly the last place I wanted Korra right now; she was sensitive enough without exposure to this kind of negative energy.  
  
As we ran along I noticed the utter lack of k'lor'slugs or any of the other nasties that could be found on this blasted world. This made me feel intensely suspicious. There were long periods of galactic history where this wretched planet was uninhabited and the things ran wild. For them to not be infesting the place, well.... I wasn't happy at all about the likely reasons.  
  
There was a shout ahead. A roar from Naga. And the sound of earth rumbling and hard thumps on the ground.  
  
We found Korra standing just inside a large room. It had slightly greater lighting than the rest of the halls, but only just. I looked to the ground and saw two armored figures laying at Korra's feet, crumbled earth around them. Naga was seated beside them. "Korra, what are you...?"  
  
Before I could finish the sentence I followed her eyes to the center of the room and the raised platform. A young woman about her age hung limply from shackles connected to electromagnetic devices by crackling bands of electrical energy. She was dressed in what looked like a modest sports bra and undershorts, revealing a dark tanned complexion just a shade or two lighter than Korra's. Her eyes were closed and her face was tightened into a rictus of effort. I tried to think of where I had seen her before.  
  
Korra jumped up to the raised platform and made metalbending motions with her arms. The shackles did not retract. Frustration appeared on her face as she looked back at me. "I can't metalbend her free."  
  
"Purified alloys," I remarked. "You'll find them on some worlds. Here." I jumped up beside her and took up my sonic screwdriver. There was the customary whir and the purple tip lit up appropriately. The shackles holding the young lady's arms snapped open. She looked weak and fell into our arms. "There we go. Young lady, look at me."  
  
"She's weak," Korra said. "I mean, the light inside of her."  
  
"Yes, not surprising. Korriban has that effect upon people with sensitivity. It's one of the darkest worlds you could ever find." I ran the sonic over the young lady. Her body showed signs of recent bacta healing and just as recent trauma consistent with a battle and a rough capture. "You're alright," I said. "You're safe."  
  
The young woman opened her eyes. The room was just light enough to make out the color of hazel. "You... need to get away," she said. "They're here. They're all here."  
  
I nodded to Korra, who brought her flask of water up and allowed the young woman a drink. "Who's here? Sith?"  
  
"The entire family," she said after taking an urgent drink from Korra's offered bottle.  
  
Something about that answer clicked in my mind. I searched my knowledge of this cosmos and compared it to what she said and to the young lady's physical description. "Ah. I think I..."  
  
The young woman looked at me more intently. I got the impression she had just stumbled upon a memory, an old one that she was trying to assure herself of. She glanced to my sonic screwdriver next. Her eyes widened. "It's not.... you're _real_?"  
  
I blinked. "Excuse me?"  
  
"It _is_ you," she continued. "You're the Doctor, the Time Lord, the Bane of the Sith."  
  
....Bane of the Sith? That made me blink again. I didn't recall having _that_ title.  
  
"You're... I heard the legend in the Temple when I was being trained. I always thought it was some fairy tale from the era of the Great Galactic War, though. But... it's you. Just as you appear in the history holocrons."  
  
Korra shot me a bemused look. "A legend? You never told me about this Bane of the Sith thing."  
  
"Well, I never directly claimed it," I answered defensively. "I am the being you speak of, yes," I clarified. "And if I may... you wouldn't happen to be Kerra Holt, would you?"  
  
The young woman's eyes narrowed. "How did you know my name?"  
  
"Well, young lady, what do you think the _Time_ in 'Time Lord' stands for, eh?", I replied with a bit of a smirk. I held a hand out. "This is one of my Companions, Avatar Korra. Korra, Kerra. Kerra, Korra." I moved my hand between them as I gave them that mutual introduction, letting my smirk turn into a stupid grin at playing with their phonetically-similar names. "And this is Korra's friend Asami," I continued, indicating Asami.  
  
Kerra looked at Korra intently. "Your friend is a Jedi?"  
  
"No, she's not like you in her use of power, if it's that Avatar power you're sensing," I explained. "So, I presume that when you say the family, you mean the Calimondra?"  
  
"Yes." Kerra rubbed at the back of her neck. "They're holding another Bequest today to divide Odion's territory. I thought it would be an opening to defeat them all at once. But it was a trap."  
  
"Ah. Yes, nasty of them to do that." I held up the sonic screwdriver. "That explains the anti-gravity repulsors under this platform. Let me guess, one of them intended to dramatically reveal you to the others as a prisoner?"  
  
She answered with a nod. "I was too impatient," she lamented. "I'm not going to beat them that easily."  
  
"Well, we live and learn. Although, hrm." I smiled thinly. "I think you may have an opening to annoy them terribly, if not actually defeat them."  
  
"Oh yeah? How?"  
  
I stood up and held out the TARDIS remote. When it finished materializing I motioned to it. "Asami, there are some surplus parts that Jan kept for making lightsabers, they're in the third storeroom where I keep my gadgets. A box labeled 'Jan's Things'. If you could show them to Kerra I am sure she could build another lightsaber. If she's fine with purple crystals, at least. And yes, purple, it's my favorite color so those wre the only crystals I ever got, alright?" Having addressed that to Asami and Kerra, I looked next to Korra. "And while they're busy with that, you and I are going to talk about the show we're about to put on."  
  
  
  
  
It had been a while since I got to put on a show.  
  
Most everything was ready when the anti-grav repulsors fired up and the platform began to lift. I had the TARDIS at the center of it and was standing in front of the door, sonics in hand and a smile on my face. Above me doors slid open and a voice flooded downward. "...my esteemed grandmother. A gift to us all," a voice cried out. "I present to you the common thorn in our side. The insect that has flurried about and interfered in the family's business. It is my pleasure to grant you the sight of my prisoner, that accursed Jedi Kerra Ho...."  
  
I didn't quite recognize the Sith saying these things. Presumably another of Vilia Calimondra's grandchildren. But he stopped in mid sentence when the platform rose high enough to show that instead of a restrained and Dark Side-addled Jedi Knight... there was me and my TARDIS.  
  
The expressions of bewilderment and surprise came across the room. I could see a multitude of Sith Lords and retinues, with a preponderance of blond hair. Two of the most prominent were a haughty-looking woman in Sith-style formal clothes and a man clad in white, surprisingly, with piercing heterochromatic eyes of blue and yellow.  
  
In the middle of this group was a holoprojector of great size projecting the holoimage of an old woman. Her wizened features and look belied what I knew to be a capable and manipulative Sith Lord: Vilia Calimondra, Matriarch of this detestable little family.  
  
I remained smiling until the platform came to a stop. "Well, hello there, everyone." I gave a mocking bow. "Lady VIlia, a distinct pleasure to meet you." My grin turned to a smirk when I straightened my back.  
  
The confusion gave way to another emotion on the old woman's face. " _You.... after all this time, you come now?!_ "  
  
"Well, I tend to flit about a bit," I confessed.  
  
"It's him," the blonde said, her eyes piercing. "The Bane." I realized I recognized her. Arkadia Calimondra, she of the faux enlightened despot pretensions who's idea of personnel management was to constantly shift a person's duties so they could never gain full competence in their field. It was surprising her Arkadianate was as functional as it was.  
  
"Oh, that's a new one," I said in reply. "Usually people just call me 'the Doctor' or 'Time Lord'. I see my reputation has grown a bit over a couple of thousand years. How interesting." I held up a hand. "Alright, everyone, if it makes you feel better, point weapons at me. I'd hate to be a rude guest."  
  
Lightsabers hissed into existence and non-Force-sensitive retinues raised blasters. You might say I had gained the room's attention.  
  
"There. Does anyone feel any better?" I called out.  
  
"How interesting." The heterochromatic man - Daiman - stared at me with interest. Unlike the others he had not drawn a weapon. "I do wonder. Are you like my so-called brother? Another rebellious creation of mine trying to destroy my universe?"  
  
Ah, yes. The ultimate solipsist, this one. Daiman believed he was the only real person and everything else was a creation of his will. I flashed him a grin. "I like to think that if this were true, I am what amounts to your conscious, finally rebelling and trying to get you to stop treating other beings like toys," I said in reply. "Not that you'll listen. Your kind never listens."  
  
" _Enough of this_ ," Vilia demanded. She pointed her finger toward me. " _To slay the Bane would forever etch the name of our family in Sith annals. I will grant the entirety of Odion's remaining holdings to whichever of you kills this interloper._ "  
  
Well, that prompted attention. The assembled Sith who weren't standing yet got to their feet and all began advancing toward me. I brought up the sonic disruptor and absorbed blaster shots into the shield. With my other hand I raised the sonic screwdriver.  
  
Technology in this galaxy hasn't ceased in progression, mind you. It's easy to think that when you compare the era of Satele Shan or Revan to, say, Luke Skywalker, at least visually. But in truth there is always refinement, new ways of doing things, et cetera, that quietly advances the effectiveness of their technology. That is why the likes of the Geonosians could conceive of something like the Death Star when the Sith Empire of old had to manage planet-killing with pilfered Republic technology and the Devastator Field to burn planets. Or old-fashioned orbital bombardment (consider Taris for that one).  
  
But while technology does advance, this past millennium had become the Galactic Dark Ages for a reason. Large-scale resurgence of the Sith and other disasters had wrecked galactic society to the point that outside of a few Republic worlds technology regressed. The Sith before me had technology that was only refined a bit beyond what I had faced from the Sith Empire. And, most importantly, it was all based on the same original principles.  
  
The ones I had long ago discovered how to disrupt.  
  
My sonic screwdriver lit up and every blaster and lightsaber in the room exploded in sparks, causing a cacophony of pained shouts and surprised shrieks. Vilia's image popped out of existence as the holographic viewer similarly exploded in a fountain of white sparks. For a moment the tide of angry and murderous Sith stopped. But only a moment; they had the Force, after all, and I could imagine they would be quick to break out the lightning and the choking.  
  
They didn't have a moment, thankfully.  
  
Guards at the doorway into the Sith auditorium flew threw the opened door. Korra and Kerra emerged, side by side. Kerra's new lightsaber ignited to reveal a green blade (blast it, Jan must have found a green crystal somewhere) and she charged into the Sith, lightsaber swinging. She was wearing one of Jan's old suits, the only fit for her that we could find in the things on the TARDIS.  
  
Korra, not to be outdone, turned to a mix of firebending, earthbending, and airbending, mixing styles in dizzying speed and showing just how much versatility she had been picking up through her life. A gust of tornado-strength air would blow through and knock Sith off their feet after which more Sith would hit the ground screaming as they tried to extinguish the flames of her firebending attacks. Their footing would fail them as entire chunks of the stone ground flew into the air at Korra's command.  
  
It was a rather impressive display of metaphysical might between the two young ladies.  
  
For my part, the sonic disruptor's various offensive settings and my position gave me the opening to launch several attacks. A jolt of electricity sent pain surging through my body and I fell to one side. Daiman had jumped onto the platform. "You would lash out at your Creator?", he asked, indignant.  
  
"Oi, you Sith and your egos." I tried to get up and felt a vise close around my throat. I was lifted into the air as I began to choke.  
  
"You will suffer for this," Daiman pledged. "You will..."  
  
He was interrupted by a loud roar. Naga emerged from the TARDIS with rather unexpected speed, and it was a good thing for me. Several hundred pounds of angry polar bear dog slammed into Daiman and knocked him down so harshly that I knew his ribs had to have cracked. In desperation Daiman called upon his power to electrocute Naga. The polar bear dog howled in angry pain and recoiled from her foe. Daiman lifted himself up. "You would...."  
  
"Don't touch my dog!" Korra hit him from behind with a massive slab of stone. As he tried to recover she twisted her arms and bent the air under him, causing the air to move swiftly enough to knock him off his feet. Daiman cried out in frustration.  
  
I had the sonic disruptor ready. A setting 21 discharge sent disruption waves into his brain. After a cry of pain he passed out.  
  
I turned my attention back to the main fight. Or rather the completely chaotic melee. For cries of "Treachery!" had started to be heard and the Calimondra family had returned to their usual practice; trying to kill each other. Kerra used the chaos to her advantage to cleave her way to the central platform. "Arkadia already ran," she told us.  
  
"It's time we did the same," I said. I pointed the sonic screwdriver down and used it to take control of the repulsors on our platform. It began to sink beneath the floor again. "Korra?"  
  
Korra nodded. She raised her arms and brought down the auditorium's stone roof above us, wedging it into the space the platform left. I closed the doors remotely to add to our new defensive layer over our heads. "Well, I think that went well," I said to them. "We certainly made this family gathering one to remember, didn't we?"  
  
Kerra nodded. I could see a smile come to her face. "You're just what the Jedi have said you were," she said to me. "A beacon of hope."  
  
"Ah, well, that might be overstating things," I insisted.  
  
"No, it isn't," Korra answered. "So, Kerra, what should we do about him?" She pointed to the unconscious Daiman.  
  
Kerra didn't answer. I didn't have one either. It was indeed a dilemma.  
  
When we got to the ground below, Asami was waiting for us. She had left the others when they came to the auditorium to finish the mission I'd proposed for them, the actual important part. Behind her were crowds of people of various races clad in various types of clothes, some more ragged than others. They were slaves and servants held on Korriban or brought here by the Calimondras.  
  
"Alright everyone." With the sonic screwdriver I set the TARDIS to my usual Refugee Transit Room. "Into the TARDIS. Next stop will be the Republic."  
  
At hearing that, many started to surge forth. "Woh everyone." Asami got by the door with hands held before her. "No need to rush. Go in at a nice pace so nobody is trampled, okay?"  
  
I watched her manage the outflow and looked back to the fallen Daiman. Korra was kneeling over him and putting her right hand on his forehead, pressing her thumb to it. I recognized the gesture. "Korra, what are you doing?", I said, my voice low and cautious.  
  
"I'm not going to kill him," Korra said. "But we can't just let him walk away either. He'll hurt more people. I have another solution."  
  
And I knew what that solution was. "Korra, I don't think you're in a shape to do something like this..." I said. I couldn't keep the fear out of my voice.  
  
"I'm just going to try," she insisted. "If I can't I'll just break it off."  
  
"You don't know that you can do that!", I shouted. But before I could get to her, it was too late. Her eyes lit up as she began to energybend Daiman.  
  
"What's she doing?", Kerra asked.  
  
"She's trying to cut off his connection to the Force," I said. "I mean, to take away his ability to use it."  
  
Kerra's eyes widened in shock at the concept. "She can do that?"  
  
"At the peak of her power, certainly." I frowned. I watched bright light emanate from Korra and start to fill Daiman. "But she's had a rough couple of years lately and her spirit and mind are weakened from trauma. I'm not sure she can...."  
  
Daiman howled and woke up. "What... what are you doing?!", he shouted. "I am the Creator, you can't...!"  
  
Pulsing, angry energy - dark and red - surged from the core of his being. Korra gasped in shock as the surging wave slammed into her energy and forced it back, pressing it back into her. I saw her try to pull away. But Daiman now held on. The energy began to consume Korra's form, surging toward her neck.  
  
Kerra acted before I could. She rushed to Korra's side and put her own hand over the one Korra had to Daiman's forehead. The golden light of the Light Side of the Force glowed within her, surging into the dark morass that was entering Korra. It cut through it in moments. Kerra's own gasp came as she poured her own strength into the bond. She had felt darkness before, she knew what the Dark Side was like, and with her help Korra was acclimating to its ferocious and passionate power. The dark red of the energy wavered, stopping just as it approached Korra's face from all sides. For several tense moments all Asami and I could do was watch and hope. Naga whimpered, undoubtedly realizing what her companion was risking.  
  
And then Korra's light, tinged with the gold of Kerra's power, surged outward yet again. Daiman's power failed beneath the strength of Korra's spirit and the Light Side power of Kerra Holt. It expanded within him, consuming his darkness as it did, until he was bathed in blue and golden light. He gasped and fell backward again. Korra and Kerra had to grab onto each other for support. Kerra watched, wide-eyed, as Daiman tried to summon his power. A look of sheer terror came to his face. "No..." he rasped. "No, you couldn't have done this to me! Not to me! I... I am the Creator! I do not let you do this to me!"  
  
"He's... he's not...", Kerra stammered. "I can't believe it. How did you do that? You took away his ability to use the Force!"  
  
"I used energy bending to change the energy inside of him," Korra answered. She looked up at Kerra. "Thank you, Kerra. I shouldn't have tried to do this alone."  
  
At that Kerra smiled gently. "Well, I know what it's like always doing that kind of thing. I've learned that lesson too now."  
  
"Yes, it is a hard lesson sometimes," I said, speaking from my own bitter experience.  
  
Asami went over and gave Korra a hug. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Exhausted," Korra admitted. She smiled weakly. "But I think I feel... better now." She looked to Kerra. "Thank you again."  
  
"You're welcome, and thank you, Korra. And you too, Doctor." She looked at me. "I never thought I could ever deal such a blow to the Calimondra family like that."  
  
"Well, there's still a lot of work to do," I said. "But first... I think we need to get these people to safety."  
  
  
  
  
We left the rescued people from Korriban in the Senate Plaza on Coruscant and left before Coruscant Security took up my time with annoying things like detentions or questions. At Kerra's instigation we returned to one of the minor worlds in the Calimondra territories. We stepped out into open fields and a sunny sky. "You don't have to do this," I said. "I think you've earned a respite."  
  
Kerra shook her head. "It's very tempting," she admitted. "But I'm not going to stop now. The people here need me. They need someone who can stand up to the Sith."  
  
"After today I think it's safe to say the Calimondra won't be overlooking you anymore," I warned her. "You're going to have to be even more careful than before."  
  
"I know." Kerra's expression remained stoic. "But I'm going anyway."  
  
"Of course." I smiled and held out my hand to her. She took it, made a confused face, and found herself holding a couple of items. "A temporal beacon. It connects directly to the TARDIS. Under some circumstances I am quite capable of providing assistance and aid, save for the tricky issues of Fixed Points in Time."  
  
"Whatever you do, don't make him explain those," Korra said, arms folded impressively and an amused look on her face. "It's the closest thing I've seen to brainbending."  
  
Kerra looked over the beacon and then the other device. "And this?"  
  
"Genetic scanner," I said simply. "Set to actively scan for genetic profiles in a close range to your own. Like, say, a brother or sister."  
  
A very still look came to Kerra's face as she considered it. To my knowledge she had only recently found out her parents had survived the Massacre of Aquilaris and had another child while prisoners of the late, unlamented Odion before they died to prevent him from finding an artifact of immense power. Said child had been taken from her mother at birth because Odion was a monster even by Sith standards. She still had no idea of where her sibling was. And I knew it would gnaw at her despite her determination to soldier on.  
  
"Thank you," she finally managed. She put her arms around me in a thankful hug. I could see hope filling her hazel eyes. "Thank you very much, Doctor."  
  
"I... actually don't go by that anymore," I admitted. "The name wasn't appropriate, and it wasn't mine."  
  
"It doesn't matter," Kerra declared. "To me, to the Jedi, and to all of the people you've ever saved from the Sith, you will always be the Doctor."  
  
I couldn't say anything else at that point. Emotion choked me at the reaction. I considered the day's events and how right she was, even if I couldn't bring myself to admit it.  
  
Korra stepped up and gave Kerra a hug. "It was great to meet you, Kerra," she said. "Good luck finding your family."  
  
"Thank you, Korra." Kerra patted her shoulder. "I hope you start feeling better. May the Force be with you and heal your spirit."  
  
Asami gave the young Jedi a goodbye hug as well. Naga, not to be outdone, chuffed and gave her a doggy kiss on the cheek with her tongue. Kerra laughed and wiped at the affectionate slobber.  
  
"Good luck to you, Kerra Holt," I said, finally finding my voice. "Good luck and may the Force always be with you."  
  
With her eyes glistening with thankful tears, the Jedi Knight Errant gave me a nod. With a final wave, she turned and began to walk away from us to return to her quest.


End file.
